American and Israeli security officials told the paper that the newly appointed supreme leader – Khamenei's 56-year-old son – is wounded, cut off, and unresponsive to communications. Despite this, Israeli officials said that clerics and commanders of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have consolidated their grip on the country.
An earlier report published by the New York Post said that intelligence officials from both countries believe Mojtaba is alive, based on repeated attempts by various senior figures to schedule meetings with him.
The mystery surrounding Khamenei deepened after he failed to appear – even during Nowruz (the Persian New Year) – to deliver the traditional holiday address that his father had given every year. Instead, he issued only a written statement on Telegram. "We expected to see Mojtaba in some form," an American official told the outlet. "He didn't take advantage of the opportunity and the tradition. That is a major red flag."
"This is more than strange," the American official added. "We don't think the Iranians would go through all this trouble to install a dead man as supreme leader, but at the same time, we have no proof that he is at the helm." According to the report, the CIA is working to verify whether photographs published on Khamenei's Telegram channel for Nowruz are current. The outlet also noted that the supreme leader's absence stands in sharp contrast to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's decision to release a holiday video.
The death rumors
Questions about Khamenei's health were also raised at a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said that Mojtaba "was very seriously wounded" in the Israeli strike, and that the decision-making process within the Iranian leadership "is unclear." In addition to his father, those killed in the strike included his wife, Zahra Haddad Adel, his son, and his mother.
Western reports paint a complex picture. Israeli officials told the New York Times that he was wounded in the legs and is being held at a secure location with limited communications. CNN reported a broken foot, bruising around his left eye, and cuts to his face.
